Indore men’s group plans ‘Putra hanta’ Holika theme:Effigy to portray Suchana Seth, 10 other accused mothers in child murder cases

In Indore, a men’s rights organisation, Paurush, has announced a symbolic Holika Dahan this year with a controversial theme. The group will burn an effigy called ‘Putra hanta’ Holika at 4 pm on March 2 at the Mahalakshmi Nagar Mela Ground. According to the organisers, the event draws from the mythological story of demon king Hiranyakashipu, who tried to kill his devotee son Prahlad by making his sister Holika sit with him in fire. However, in this symbolic version, the effigy will carry the faces of women accused of killing their own children. The organisation said 11 accused women from across the country have been chosen for the effigy. Two of them have been sentenced to death by lower courts, while trials in other cases are still pending. Suchana Seth’s face to be placed at centre Paurush president Advocate Ashok Dashora said the central face in the effigy will be that of Suchana Seth, the Bengaluru-based CEO accused of killing her four-year-old son earlier this year. He alleged that Seth had refused to allow her son to meet his father, despite court directions. The father, Venkataraman, is an Indonesian national of Indian origin. Dashora claimed that Seth took the child to a hotel in Goa, where she allegedly killed him, dismembered the body, and packed the remains in a suitcase. Police had arrested Seth while she was travelling with the suitcase. The case is currently under trial. Other accused women also included The organisation said the effigy will also feature the faces of other women accused in child murder cases. These include Seema, Muskan, Priyanka and Durgavati from Uttar Pradesh; Bharti and Sharanya from Tamil Nadu; Sanju from Rajasthan; Jyoti Rathore from Gwalior; Poonam from Haryana; and Sunita Sharma from Gujarat. Organisers said the symbolic Holika is intended to raise awareness about crimes against children and what they described as “ignored cases involving accused mothers”. The announcement has drawn attention ahead of Holi celebrations, with the event likely to attract both support and criticism due to its sensitive theme. Know the horrific stories of accused women

Members of the men’s rights organisation Paurush said the symbolic burning of the ‘Son-killer Holika’ effigy is aimed at raising social awareness and highlighting family issues. Organisation member Milind Agarwal said the event is intended to expose what he described as “harmful social attitudes” and to draw attention to cases involving accused mothers. He urged families affected by legal disputes, particularly those involving child custody and visitation, to participate in the programme. Agarwal also questioned existing child custody and visitation provisions, claiming that in some cases fathers are allowed to meet their children for limited durations. He alleged that several fathers have been unable to meet their children for years due to ongoing legal disputes. Organisation claims to support families in legal disputes Paurush said it has been working in Indore for more than a decade on issues related to men’s rights and family disputes. According to the organisation, it provides counselling and free legal assistance to families affected by dowry cases, domestic violence disputes, maintenance claims, divorce, child custody, and visitation matters. The group also said it assists families in cases involving alleged illegal arrests and bribery demands. While members said the organisation has been active since 2011, its formal registration was completed in 2018. High Court earlier stayed similar effigy burning The organisation had earlier proposed burning the effigy of a woman named Sonam Raghuwanshi during Dussehra. However, her mother, Sangeeta Raghuwanshi, filed a petition in the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on September 25, seeking a stay on the event. The petition argued that such actions should not be allowed until guilt is established by a court of law. The High Court stayed the proposed effigy burning and observed that such acts are not acceptable in a democratic society, emphasising the importance of due process and legal principles. See pictures related to the event